site.btaRoad Traffic Accidents Up by 8.7% in 2022 Y/Y

A total of 6,609 serious road traffic accidents were registered across Bulgaria in 2022, as a result of which 531 people were killed and 8,422 injured, show data from the Road Traffic Accidents in the Republic of Bulgaria 2022 statistical publication, published jointly by the National Statistical Institute (NSI) and the Ministry of Interior here on Wednesday. The year-on-year increase in the number of traffic accidents in 2022 is 8.7%, while injuries and fatalities went by 10.7% and 5.3%, respectively.  more people killed as a result of traffic accidents last year.

The largest share of traffic accidents were caused by driver error – 6,470, with 25.5% of them being attributed to speeding. A total of 23.2% of road traffic accidents involved pedestrians, while 33.9% were collisions between vehicles.

The highest monthly death rate as a result of traffic accidents in 2022 was reported in the month of November, when 63 people were killed or 11% of all fatalities. It was lowest in February – 28 people killed in traffic accidents. The most fatalities were reported in the hours between 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm – 813 accidents with 75 fatalities.

Friday was the day when the highest share of traffic accident injuries were reported – 16.5% of all injuries. The death rate was highest on Saturday – 17.7% of all fatalities were reported on that day, while it was lowest on Wednesday – 11.3% of all fatalities.

The highest number of traffic accidents with material damage and injured people were registered in the capital (8,697); that region also ranks first for the number of accidents with serious injuries. The highest number of fatal accidents - 47 - was observed in Plovdiv Region (South Central Bulgaria).